Only one presidential candidate is reportedly paying interns

Campaigning for president is a tireless job, not only for the candidates but also for the interns and volunteers who make it all possible. But it turns out it's rare for this year's presidential candidates to pay interns.​

Interestingly, Sanders reportedly pays them just over $10 an hour as he campaigns for a federal minimum wage of $15 an hour. "The United States government should not be the largest low-wage employer. It should be the best employer in America," Sanders said at a rally in 2015.

10 facts you didn't know about Bernie Sanders:

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10 things you don't know about Bernie Sanders

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Only one presidential candidate is reportedly paying interns

1. He's a socialist, and he doesn't deny it. When he ran for office in 1990 he responded to an ad trying to link him to Fidel Castro by saying, "I am a socialist and everyone knows that."

(AP Photo/Toby Talbot, File)

2. He used to moonlight as a comedy actor, appearing in the 1999 film "My X-Girlfriends Wedding Reception."

(Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

4. He made headlines in in 2010 when he tried to block a deal that included a tax cut extension for the wealthy with a filibuster-like stand. The stunt trended on Twitter with the hashtag #filibernie and later crashed the Senate video server.

Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

5. He is not religious. While all past presidents have been openly religious and Christian, Sanders says he identifies as Jewish but doesn't practice.

(Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

7. He grew up in a working class family in Brooklyn, and his father was a Polish immigrant.

(Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

8. He released an album called 'We Shall Overcome' in which he reads speeches about peace and justice with a choir singing in the background. It's available on iTunes.

(Photo By Bill Clark/Roll Call/Getty Images)

9. He is a big believer in Scandinavian political thinking and has said that the U.S. should adopt some of their principles, including the idea that health care should be a right, and higher education should be free.

(Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

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The issue of unpaid internships is especially interesting when it comes to candidates campaigning for higher minimum wages and lower college debt — all while failing to pay their free help.

But why don't more candidates pay their interns? Well, it isn't cheap. Plus, you're also using money that could be spent on ads and other campaign finances that reach wider audiences. Plus, being an intern for a high-profile political candidate can be prestigious — that's partly why some of the application processes are so extensive.

For example, submitting an internship application to join Marco Rubio's campaign — one of the most extensive — requires a resume, cover letter, references and a series of short-answer questions.

The WaPo op-ed reads: "Whoever wins, the next president will likely follow the pipeline of free labor all the way to the White House, where interns are, of course, unpaid. The issue is truly nonpartisan, as neither the Democratic nor Republican national committee pays its interns."

IOWA CITY, IOWA-JANUARY 30:
Students are ecstatic with Bernie Sanders as he arrives to a big rally at the University of Iowa.
(Photo by Lucian Perkins /for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

IOWA CITY, IOWA-JANUARY 30:
Bernie Sanders, a Democratic candidate for President of the U.S., attracts a huge crowd a rally at the University of Iowa.
(Photo by Lucian Perkins /for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate, center, and his wife Jane Sanders, center right, stand on stage as the song 'This Land is Your Land' is played during a campaign rally at the University of Iowa Field House in Iowa City, Iowa, U.S., on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016. Hillary Clinton is holding onto a slim lead over Sanders in Iowa as Democrats prepare for Mondays caucuses, though an outpouring of young voters and those who say the system is rigged could enable Sanders to pull off an upset, according to a new poll. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

DES MOINES, IA - JANUARY 29: Mark Foster of the band Foster the People performs at a concert in support of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on January 29, 2016 in Des Moines, Iowa. The Democratic and Republican Iowa Caucuses, the first step in nominating a presidential candidate from each party, will take place on February 1. (Photo by Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images)

Attendees hold up campaign signs as Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate, speaks during a campaign rally at the University of Iowa Field House in Iowa City, Iowa, U.S., on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016. Hillary Clinton is holding onto a slim lead over Sanders in Iowa as Democrats prepare for Mondays caucuses, though an outpouring of young voters and those who say the system is rigged could enable Sanders to pull off an upset, according to a new poll. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate, speaks during a campaign rally at the University of Iowa Field House in Iowa City, Iowa, U.S., on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016. Hillary Clinton is holding onto a slim lead over Sanders in Iowa as Democrats prepare for Mondays caucuses, though an outpouring of young voters and those who say the system is rigged could enable Sanders to pull off an upset, according to a new poll. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

An attendee holds an illuminated campaign sign for Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate, during a campaign rally at the University of Iowa Field House in Iowa City, Iowa, U.S., on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016. Hillary Clinton is holding onto a slim lead over Sanders in Iowa as Democrats prepare for Mondays caucuses, though an outpouring of young voters and those who say the system is rigged could enable Sanders to pull off an upset, according to a new poll. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

IOWA CITY, IOWA-JANUARY 30:
Bernie Sanders, a Democratic candidate for President of the U.S., attracts a huge crowd a rally at the University of Iowa.
(Photo by Lucian Perkins /for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

DES MOINES, IA - JANUARY 29: Andy Fleming and Dave Moore perform at a concert in support of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on January 29, 2016 in Des Moines, Iowa. The Democratic and Republican Iowa Caucuses, the first step in nominating a presidential candidate from each party, will take place on February 1. (Photo by Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images)

DES MOINES, IA - JANUARY 29: Audience members attend a concert in support of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on January 29, 2016 in Des Moines, Iowa. The Democratic and Republican Iowa Caucuses, the first step in nominating a presidential candidate from each party, will take place on February 1. (Photo by Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images)

DES MOINES, IA - JANUARY 29: Singers Jill Sobule, Kay Hanley, and Michelle Lewis (L-R) concert in support of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on January 29, 2016 in Des Moines, Iowa. The Democratic and Republican Iowa Caucuses, the first step in nominating a presidential candidate from each party, will take place on February 1. (Photo by Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images)

Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate, waves as he arrives to speak during a campaign rally at the University of Iowa Field House in Iowa City, Iowa, U.S., on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016. Hillary Clinton is holding onto a slim lead over Sanders in Iowa as Democrats prepare for Mondays caucuses, though an outpouring of young voters and those who say the system is rigged could enable Sanders to pull off an upset, according to a new poll. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

IOWA CITY, IOWA-JANUARY 30:
Bernie Sanders, a Democratic candidate for President of the U.S., attracts a huge crowd a rally at the University of Iowa.
(Photo by Lucian Perkins /for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Attendees cheer as Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate, not pictured, leaves the stage during a campaign rally at the University of Iowa Field House in Iowa City, Iowa, U.S., on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016. Hillary Clinton is holding onto a slim lead over Sanders in Iowa as Democrats prepare for Mondays caucuses, though an outpouring of young voters and those who say the system is rigged could enable Sanders to pull off an upset, according to a new poll. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Attendees dance to a David Bowie song after a Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate, campaign rally at the University of Iowa Field House in Iowa City, Iowa, U.S., on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016. Hillary Clinton is holding onto a slim lead over Sanders in Iowa as Democrats prepare for Mondays caucuses, though an outpouring of young voters and those who say the system is rigged could enable Sanders to pull off an upset, according to a new poll. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images